In the small town of Innocence, Mississippi, days are long, nights are fragrant, and secrets are hard to keep. But when a brutal killer starts claiming the lives of the town's most attractive women, lifelong neighbors are forced to wonder if the culprit is a stranger lurking in the bayou...or someone right next door.

Burned out by a whirlwind career, world-famous concert violinist Caroline Waverly arrives in Innocence looking for a little peace and some time to think. She hopes that a stay at her late grandmother's house--the one with a covered porch just made for soft summer nights--will provide the tranquillity she needs.  But Innocence has something else to offer Caroline: handsome, charming Tucker Longstreet.

Tucker is known for keeping his romances short and shallow. But one look at Caroline, and Tucker realizes that she is unlike any other woman he's met. The coolly reserved Caroline feels an unexpected thrill at his ardent advances. But when she discovers a third murder victim in the murky waters behind her home, her summer liaison threatens to become much more. Because there's just one small problem with her new romance: Tucker is the leading suspect in the killings.